Electro-optic rearview mirror assembly for vehicle
First Claim
1. A reflective element assembly for a vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly, said reflective element assembly comprising:
- a front substrate having first and second surfaces;
a transparent conductive coating established at said second surface;
a rear substrate having third and fourth surfaces;
a third surface transflective reflector established at said third surface;
an electro-optic medium disposed between said front and rear substrates;
a fourth surface mirror reflector established at said fourth surface of said rear substrate, said fourth surface mirror reflector being substantially non-light transmitting except at a window established therethrough;
wherein said window is established through said fourth surface mirror reflector and is substantially devoid of said fourth surface mirror reflector at a location where a sensor is disposed behind said reflective element and having a field of view through said reflective element and through said window of said fourth surface and through said third surface transflective reflector at said third surface; and
wherein the portion of said fourth surface mirror reflector at and around said window locally varies in physical thickness, with a minimum physical thickness of said fourth surface mirror reflector being closest to said window and with the physical thickness of said fourth surface mirror reflector generally increasing to a generally maximum physical thickness of said fourth surface mirror reflector at a distance from said window to reduce viewability of said window through said front and rear substrates by a driver normally viewing said reflective element assembly when said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in a vehicle equipped with said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A reflective element assembly for a vehicular mirror assembly includes a front substrate, a rear substrate, an electro-optic medium disposed between the front and rear substrates and a transmission-reducing thin film coating established at the fourth surface of the rear substrate. A window is established through the transmission-reducing thin film coating and is substantially devoid of the thin film coating at a location where a sensor is disposed behind the reflective element and having a field of view through the reflective element and through the window. A portion of the transmission-reducing thin film coating at and around the window locally varies in physical thickness, with a minimum physical thickness of the thin film coating being closest to the window and with the physical thickness of the thin film coating generally increasing to a generally maximum physical thickness of the thin film coating at a distance from the window.
117 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A reflective element assembly for a vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly, said reflective element assembly comprising:
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a front substrate having first and second surfaces; a transparent conductive coating established at said second surface; a rear substrate having third and fourth surfaces; a third surface transflective reflector established at said third surface; an electro-optic medium disposed between said front and rear substrates; a fourth surface mirror reflector established at said fourth surface of said rear substrate, said fourth surface mirror reflector being substantially non-light transmitting except at a window established therethrough; wherein said window is established through said fourth surface mirror reflector and is substantially devoid of said fourth surface mirror reflector at a location where a sensor is disposed behind said reflective element and having a field of view through said reflective element and through said window of said fourth surface and through said third surface transflective reflector at said third surface; and wherein the portion of said fourth surface mirror reflector at and around said window locally varies in physical thickness, with a minimum physical thickness of said fourth surface mirror reflector being closest to said window and with the physical thickness of said fourth surface mirror reflector generally increasing to a generally maximum physical thickness of said fourth surface mirror reflector at a distance from said window to reduce viewability of said window through said front and rear substrates by a driver normally viewing said reflective element assembly when said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in a vehicle equipped with said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A reflective element assembly for a vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly, said reflective element assembly comprising:
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a front substrate having first and second surfaces; a transparent conductive coating established at said second surface; a rear substrate having third and fourth surfaces; a third surface transflective reflector established at said third surface; an electro-optic medium disposed between said front and rear substrates; a fourth surface mirror reflector established at said fourth surface of said rear substrate, said fourth surface mirror reflector being substantially non-light transmitting except at a window established therethrough; a circuit element comprising circuitry established on a substrate, a first electrical connector for electrically conductively connecting said circuit element to said transparent conductive coating at said second surface, and a second electrical connector for electrically conductively connecting said circuit element to a conductive coating at said third surface; wherein said window is established through said fourth surface mirror reflector and is substantially devoid of said fourth surface mirror reflector at a location where a sensor is disposed behind said reflective element and having a field of view through said reflective element and through said window of said fourth surface and through said third surface transflective reflector at said third surface; wherein the portion of said fourth surface mirror reflector at and around said window locally varies in physical thickness, with a minimum physical thickness of said fourth surface mirror reflector being closest to said window and with the physical thickness of said fourth surface mirror reflector generally increasing to a generally maximum physical thickness of said fourth surface mirror reflector at a distance from said window to reduce viewability of said window through said front and rear substrates by a driver normally viewing said reflective element assembly when said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in a vehicle equipped with said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly; and wherein said fourth surface mirror reflector comprises a tapered physical thickness that tapers from said maximum physical thickness of said fourth surface mirror reflector as established at said fourth surface of said rear substrate remote from said window to said minimum physical thickness at and around and circumscribing said window where said sensor is viewing through said reflective element. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A reflective element assembly for a vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly, said reflective element assembly comprising:
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a front substrate having first and second surfaces; a transparent conductive coating established at said second surface; a rear substrate having third and fourth surfaces; a third surface transflective reflector established at said third surface; an electro-optic medium disposed between said front and rear substrates; a fourth surface mirror reflector established at said fourth surface of said rear substrate, said fourth surface mirror reflector being substantially non-light transmitting except at a window established therethrough, wherein said fourth surface mirror reflector comprises a metal thin film coating; wherein said window is established through said fourth surface mirror reflector and is substantially devoid of said fourth surface mirror reflector at a location where a sensor is disposed behind said reflective element and having a field of view through said reflective element and through said window of said fourth surface and through said third surface transflective reflector at said third surface; wherein the portion of said fourth surface mirror reflector at and around said window locally varies in physical thickness, with a minimum physical thickness of said fourth surface mirror reflector being closest to said window and with the physical thickness of said fourth surface mirror reflector generally increasing to a generally maximum physical thickness of said fourth surface mirror reflector at a distance from said window to reduce viewability of said window through said front and rear substrates by a driver normally viewing said reflective element assembly when said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in a vehicle equipped with said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly; and a circuit element comprising circuitry established on a substrate, a first electrical connector for electrically conductively connecting said circuit element to said transparent conductive coating at said second surface, and a second electrical connector for electrically conductively connecting said circuit element to a conductive coating at said third surface. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification